SAEDNEWS: Shell containers still bearing traces of pink eye shadow and face powders—this 2,000-year-old find reveals that Barbie’s favorite pastime has deep roots in human history.
Excavations in the ancient city of Aizone in western Turkey have recently uncovered the remains of a 2,000-year-old shop that sold jewelry and cosmetics, according to Saed News’ society section. The shop was located in the city’s ancient marketplace, east of the Temple of Zeus.
Archaeologists discovered numerous perfume containers, jewelry beads such as pins and necklaces, and cosmetic packages in the shop. The cosmetic items include eyeshadows and rouge, remarkably well-preserved even after two millennia.
Traces of pink cosmetics found in the 2,000-year-old shop
Professor Gökhan Koşkan, head of the Archaeology Department at Dumlupınar University, explained: “We know that the ancient Romans stored eyeshadows and other cosmetics in shell containers. Now, we have found examples of these containers along with their contents in this Roman shop.”
Shells used to store cosmetics
According to Professor Koşkan, besides jewelry and decorative items, archaeologists uncovered cosmetics such as eyeshadow and face powders in ten different shades at the site. Interestingly, all ten colors fall within the red-to-pink spectrum—suggesting that a love of colorful makeup, perhaps even “Barbie-style,” has a far longer history than we might imagine.
An almost intact cosmetic mold
The first settlements in Aizone date back around 3,000 years. The city was part of the Kingdom of Pergamon and came under Roman rule in the 2nd century CE. During the 2nd and 3rd centuries, it reached its peak, with public buildings such as temples, baths, theaters, and marketplaces being constructed.
